The magazine ranks the schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students and helping them earn degrees); research production (focusing particularly on schools whose undergraduates to on to earn doctorates); and commitment to service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

Geneseo fared particularly well in the research category, ranking 16th in the number of alumni who go on to earn a doctorate. Geneseo ranks 10th in the number of alumni from primarily undergraduate institutions who earn doctorates in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), according to data from several federal agencies.